What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

whatcar.com^ August 2020 53

Takeyourtime;makesureyou’rehappywiththecar Be  exible on colour and spec to get the best deal

Being chatty and honest with the salesperson is usually the best policy, and don’t be put off by any perceived ‘tactics’

ideal colour or specifi cation but which the

dealer has in stock and is keen to shift.

Be friendly

The old adage ‘people buy people’ means you’re

more likely to buy from a salesperson you get

along with, and it works the other way, too.

So, relax and chat a bit. Remember just how

excited you are about your new car, and don’t

be afraid to share your enthusiasm with the

salesperson. It might even encourage them

to improve their offer.

Don’t be afraid to pit one

dealer against another

Haggling is a horrible prospect for many

people, but if you’ve done your homework,

you’ll know how much your part-exchange is

worth and how much the car you’re interested

in can be bought for, so you can be confi dent

about how well the fi gures match up to your

expectations. If they don’t, there are plenty of

other dealers you can talk to.

Again, our New Car Buying service comes in

handy here, because we’ll alert dealers in your

area that there’s someone who’s interested in

a particular model, and then they’ll compete

with each other for your business in a blind

auction. You can even talk to them about

options and your part-exchange through our

website, and they’ll never get your personal

details until you’re ready to buy.

Understand the  gures

When you receive a ‘deal sheet’, the scattered

numbers might be a bit confusing. Generally,

though, it’ll show you two things: the car’s

price and how it translates into the fi nance

method you’ve opted for. The overall cost of

the car is the most important number. The

other key fi gures are the customer deposit,

the monthly payment and any manufacturer

deposit contribution, which is typically offered

in addition to a traditional discount. It’s worth

noting that these are often presented more

clearly online than they are in a showroom.

Don’t be intimidated

If you choose to visit a car showroom to take a

test drive or complete the deal, it’s easy to feel

intimidated; the polished fl oors, twinkling

lights and patrols of crisply suited salesmen are

designed to impress and can cause unease by

their very nature. Try to think of the dealership

as just another shop, though. Of course, there’s

more at stake than there is when you’re buying

a pint of milk, but if you’ve followed our earlier

tips, you’ve really got nothing to worry about.

Honesty is the best policy

Without being impolite, tell the salesperson

what you’re thinking. If you dislike the car after

driving it, for example, just let them know.

Mind the GAP

When buying a new car, you will be offered

a host of extra products, such as upholstery

and paint protectors and GAP insurance. It’s

worth listening to the dealer’s spiel about

the intricacies of how these products work,

butthendosomeresearchonlinetofindout

how buyers rate them. With GAP insurance,

for example, our research has shown that it’s

generally far cheaper when you get it from an

online provider than from a car dealership.

Be wary of closing tactics

When a salesperson is being trained,

overcoming customer objections is a key

topic that’s drummed into them. An effective

salesperson will know how to turn an objection

into an opportunity to close the deal, often

using phrases along the lines of “If I could,

would you?”. There’s nothing underhand about

tactics like these, but they’re part of the dark

art of cornering the buyer until they give in.

Just remember that you have the upper hand

throughout the buying process. If you don’t

like what you see or hear, you can choose to go

somewhere else for the deal you really want.

‘Just remember that

you have the upper

hand throughout the

buying process’

‘Think of your trade-in

as a commodity rather

than a faithful old

companion’